I have vaginismus and have lot of pain during sex. How can I get it treated?

Vaginismus is a problem that affects women and make sex painful for them. Read more about the condition.

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Q: I want to get treated for vaginismus. Please suggest some treatment. Also Read - 6 ways diabetes kills your sex life and takes a toll on your relationship too

Answered by Sexual Health Physician & Medical Sex Therapist Dr Vijayasarathi Ramanthan

Vaginismus is a very common presentation among Indian women and you can be sure you are not the only one. In order to effectively manage your problem, a good history needs to be taken and then the management options need to be discussed. I can tell you that overcoming vaginismus takes some time and committed effort to follow the instructions. You can seek well qualified health professionals (sexologists and sex therapists) who can give you more advice and instructions to overcome your problem. (Read: Sexual problems in women – they are real!)

What is vaginismus?

One of the most common types of sexual dysfunction is a condition called vaginismus. It refers to an involuntary spasm of the muscles at the lower end of the vagina which can make penetration an incredibly painful and sometimes impossible affair. It happens because instead of relaxing the muscles tense up. A woman suffering from it can’t control when the muscles will spasm. It can happen when she is trying to have sex or when she is having a medical examination, like a pap smear. The spasm can be so strong that nothing can go into the vagina and she feels pain when trying to put anything into the vagina (including fingers, tampons, penis or speculum for pap smears). There can also be no obvious cause and yet the muscle spasm still happens. (Read: Could vaginismus be making sex painful for her?)

Dr Ramanathan completed his undergraduate course in medicine in India before migrating to Australia in 2005. Since then he has acquired three PG qualifications – MMed-SexHlth, GradDip-HlthSc and PhD from the University of Sydney, one of the finest and oldest institutions. He has spent over five years (in Australia) researching sexuality and sexual health of Indian men. Since 2009, through his site the SSS Centre for Sexual Health, he has been providing health e-consultations, conducted community-based surveys and built a strong partnership with other sexual health professionals. He has also worked with NGOs and the media to increase awareness about sexual health. He has undergone special training in Health Coaching, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Counselling. His understanding of Indian sexuality has been recognized by his peers and for a textbook titled ‘The Cultural Context of Sexual Pleasure and Problems’ which was published in 2012, he wrote the chapter on Indian sexuality. He is the current representative of India and Asia Pacific region on the Youth Initiative, World Association for Sexual Health. He can be consulted on his website.

Published : October 7, 2013 12:23 pm | Updated:April 6, 2016 12:57 pm

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